Thank A Teacher Deadline Is Dec. 21
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO

A new effort by the city to remove unsatisfactory teachers, followed by a teacher protest against the new initiative, has ended with an agreement by both to thank teachers publicly.

The city Department of Education (DOE) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) are jointly sponsoring the city's first Thank A Teacher campaign. Current students and even graduates of New York City public schools can say "thank you" for the impact teachers have had on their lives by submitting up to 200 words about a special teacher to ThankATeacher@schools.nyc.gov.

A photo, drawing or painting of the teacher can also be submitted along with the 200-word essay. The deadline for responses, posted at schools.nyc.gov/students, is Dec. 21, 2007.

"Teachers can have enormous influence on the lives of their students, immediately and long after the children grow up," Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said in a November 28 Department of Education press release. "I've said many times that I owe a great deal to Sidney Harris, my physics teacher at Bryant High School, who encouraged me not to set any limits when I thought about my future."

After growing up in the Woodside Houses and attending local schools, Klein, whose father was a postal worker, went on to graduate from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. "There are so many powerful stories like mine. We want to recognize and honor New York City's outstanding teachers for their important role in our schools and in our city," he said.

"Most people remember at least one teacher who touched their lives at a crucial turning point, sparked their interest in learning and inspired them to strive for excellence," UFT President Randi Weingarten said in the press release.

DOE will randomly select 200 of the teachers recognized in the Thank a Teacher campaign. on Jan. 10, 2008, they will be honored at a celebration at DOE headquarters in Manhattan, along with a guest of their choice.

The event, funded by the Broad Foundation, will also recognize the contribution city teachers made to winning the 2007 Broad Prize for Urban Education. The national award honors the school district that has made the most improvement in student performance while closing achievement gaps among ethnic and income groups.

Weingarten said that 90 percent of parents surveyed this year said they are satisfied or very satisfied with their children's teachers. "It's only fitting that we take a moment to say thanks for caring and making a difference," she said.

On November 18, Weingarten said 4,606 certified teachers had resigned during the 2006-07 school year, not including teachers who retired or had certification problems. The number of teacher resignations has steadily gone up from 2,544 in 2001. Of the more than 7,000 teachers who were hired in 2006, nearly 14 percent resigned by the end of the year, according to the UFT. "Losing good teachers is the predominant staffing issue that DOE needs to address," Weingarten said.

The DOE said the numbers were inaccurate and on November 26, Klein sent a letter via email to all teachers in city schools, praising their efforts. In the e-mail, Klein noted that only 10 teachers out of 55,000 tenured teachers were removed last year for incompetence.